


Hot as Ice

by frogy



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Dogs, Drinking, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Shoes, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:30:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9055465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogy/pseuds/frogy
Summary: Every summer since he was 17, Victor has produced and starred in a summer ice show. His show is called “Hot as Ice.” His 17-year-old self, already two-time Russian National champion, thought he was a lot more clever than he actually was and now Victor's show is stuck with that name forever. Victor would never regret his year spent in Hasetsu, but he's excited to get back to being Victor NikiforovTM, terrible show name and all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes I care about the prose in my writing. Other times I word dump 6000 words in 4 days because I'm amusing myself with a story. 
> 
> This is the second one. 
> 
> I hope I can amuse you too.

Every summer since he was 17, Victor has produced and starred in a summer ice show. His show is called “Hot as Ice.” His 17-year-old self, already two-time Russian National champion, thought he was a lot more clever than he actually was and now Victor's show is stuck with that name forever. Victor would never regret his year spent in Hasetsu, but he's excited to get back to being Victor NikiforovTM, terrible show name and all.

For this summer, he's already got all the top Russian skaters on board, all the medalists from Nationals have received their contracts and are expected to sign. And Yuuri is coming of course. And Victor thinks he'll give Chris a call. Most of the Russian skaters will stay the whole summer, bouncing around from St. Petersburg to Moscow and Sochi and whatever other cities the operations guys book them in. But the foreign skaters will frequently only make it for a city or two, with commitments and shows in their home countries to plan around.

Luckily, Victor knows no shortage of skaters who are willing to come skate for him and figuring out who they are in more specifics is his plan for the day.

Or it was until there's an angry knock on his door.

"What is this bullshit," Yurio spews, pushing his way into Victor's apartment. Victor would regret giving Yurio his address if he didn't find Yurio's teenage rage so hilarious.

Victor looks at what Yurio is holding. It's the contract for the show. "What is what?"

"I want a hotel room," Yurio says.

"Huh?"

"There's no hotel room included for St. Petersburg."

"You live here,” Victor says. They travel enough for the job. Victor will take every opportunity he gets to stay home.

"I live with Yakov and Leila," Yurio says.

And Victor can understand wanting to leave that. His money from the first year of shows went right into his very first apartment. "So tell your agent," Victor says. "I'm sure they can change it."

"I'm telling you."

"Why? Do you think I write the contracts?” Victor asks.

"Tell your people to change it," Yurio says, glaring. "Also, Otabek is coming for the summer."

"He is, is he." Victor laughs at Yurio. But, sure, why not? That's one less skater he needs to coordinate. 

\---

Victor meets all of Yurio's demands, so the beginning of the summer finds Yurio checking in to a hotel by the rink for the next month. They have two weeks of rehearsals followed by two weeks of shows before they move on to the next city. And Yurio is bouncing around his hotel room thinking about all this freedom.

Also Otabek will be checking in to this same hotel later today.

Yurio can't wait.

He goes for a run and he goes with Victor to meet his Piggy at the bus stop and he fake-yacks at how gross they are. And then finally, finally Otabek texts him with his room number and Yurio leaves Victor and Yuuri with barely a 'bye.'

It's fine. They're so into each other they barely notice anyone else.

Yurio goes straight to bang on the door to Otabek's room. Otabek opens it. And Yurio attacks him with his mouth on Otabek's They're kissing. And it's amazing.

Yurio is so into all of it; Otabek finally being here, his stupid chiseled jaw, the way he tastes, how hard He's panting when he pulls back to ask "so, we're really doing this?"

"I know you want to," Yurio says with possibly more conviction than he feels.

"Yeah, yeah," Otabek agrees. "You know how hot you are."

If only. He's get a lot of cute or pretty or some other dumb, baby adjective. But here's this guy, man, friend, who wants him. So Yurio pushes Otabek back onto the hotel bed and goes for it.

Afterwards, lying tangled up with Otabek, dicks out but still mostly dressed, Yurio has a moment where he thinks 'so, that's sex,' and says "we should do that again."

Otabek mumbles something that sounds like "jet lag" and "wake me up when you're ready."

And Yurio didn't necessarily mean right now, but yeah, he could go again. But he lets Bek take a nap first. He's nice like that.

\---

Yuuri didn't read his contract as closely as Yurio did. Minako-sensei helps him with stuff like that, and he trusts her implicitly. So it's a surprise when Victor leads him not to a hotel, but to a nice apartment block and into what is undoubtedly Victor's home.

"What about my hotel room?” Yuuri asks.

"You're staying with me!"

"What? Why?"

"Why would you stay anywhere else? I stayed with you in Hasetsu,” Victor says.

"My family runs an inn. You have a one bedroom apartment," Yuuri says hysterically.

"Yes, it will be great sleeping together," Victor says, beaming.

Well, Yuuri wanted Victor to have more faith than him. So Yuuri goes with it. He drops his stuff and stretches, everything stiff and cramped from the flight.

"Let me give you a massage," Victor says, putting a hand on Yuuri's shoulder.

"Um."

"Come on, take your shirt off," Victor says, tugging on the hem. He looks soft and vulnerable and Yuuri has trouble saying no to him in the best of circumstances. Victor barefoot and wearing a boatneck t-shirt that keeps slipping off his shoulder is far from the best of circumstances. So Yuuri goes.

Victor's bed smells of him. And Victor's hands are warm and sure on Yuuri. It's a slow, steady decent of Victor running his hands through Yuuri's hair and down his neck, digging into his sore shoulders and across his back. Victor is thorough, touching seemingly every part of Yuuri, before he ends up at the foot of his own bed, rubbing the balls of Yuuri's ankles and digging his thumbs into the arch of Yuuri's feet.

Yuuri's got a half-chub going on. Victor must notice the way Yuuri's hitching his hips into the bed, but he doesn't do anything about it. If anything Victor moves slower, lingering at Yuuri's feet, kissing up the back of his calves. It's not intentional when Yuuri slips into sleep, Victor's touch as much a dream as anything his sleeping mind can conjure.

And he wakes into another dream, one where Victor has fallen asleep curled up next to him, head pillowed on Yuuri's chest. Yuuri runs his hand through Victor's hair, taking advantage of Victor being asleep. Yuuri may have made a mistake pointing out Victor's thinning hair early in their acquaintance, since it made Victor self conscious. Now Victor is as likely as not to pull away when Yuuri just wants to play with his hair. But sleeping Victor is pliant and docile and when he shifts Yuuri feels that he's as interested in the proceedings as Yuuri is.

"Wake up," Yuuri prompts, and Victor complies, waking up into Yuuri's kisses. They come that way, rubbing against one another, kissing and touching with ring-clad hands.

\---

Two and a little weeks later, Victor is less confident about everything. The show has started, and is going well. And if was only skating in it, he'd be thrilled. But his choreographer hat means he needs to start planning how they're going to swap out the American ice dancers for the Chinese pairs when they get to Moscow and etc and etc.

Also, he was supposed to be getting ahead on the five programs he's choreographing this summer while he's working from his home rink: short and free for himself, short and free for Yuuri in his role as coach, and a short for Yurio he's not sure how he got conned into doing.

He woke up early to try and pulled himself out of bed despite how warm and cuddly and tempting Yuuri was. And then Makkachin wouldn't get up and go running with him and he really can't lie to himself that it's 50/50 anymore. It's a lot less than that. 

Victor would take Makkachin to the vet to ask what's wrong, but the first four times he did that the answer was that Makkachin is old and they can't do anything about that. That answer makes Victor think about how one day Makkachin won't be around anymore so he's stopped taking him to the vet for every little thing. 

He's perfectly capable of losing a morning to being depressed about Makkachin's impending mortality without having a vet bill to show for it.

So, he didn't get any usable choreography done this morning.

Also, Yuuri keeps leaving his shit everywhere.

Point is, Victor is stressed.

He's home now, and he and Yuuri are making out on the couch. It's sort of their thing. Not making out on the couch per se, but the slow and lingering. There's no amount of touching that will fill Victor's need for Yuuri, no number of kisses that will ever be enough. So they put off the end, drawing it out.

They've been making out for three episodes of Real Housewives of Moscow and it's nice.

But. Victor would like to hurry up and come so he can maybe attempt to get something done today.

He's about to push them in that direction, but there's a knock on his door. "I'll get it," Yuuri says, getting up from where he's been sprawled on top of Victor.

Yuuri's hair is disheveled and his lips are red and swollen. Victor is sure he looks the same and whoever it is is going to know exactly what's been going on.

"What do you want?" Yuuri asks in angry English, which means it's someone Yuuri knows, someone he knows speaks English.

Which makes sense when Yurio pushes his way into the apartment.

"What the fuck?" Yurio shouts.

"Hm?" Victor asks, only moderately sitting up. Yurio isn't important enough to get up-up for. Victor will answer whatever silly question Yurio has and he'll be able to get back to hooking up with Yuuri.

"I've been looking for you."

"Well, you found me,” Victor shrugs.

"This is what you've been wasting your day with? This pig?” 

And usually Victor finds Yurio’s hissy fits are cute, but this isn’t one of those times. “Tell me what you want, or get out of here,” Victor says, sitting up because he’ll physically kick Yurio out if he has to.

“Forget it, if you’re gonna be gross, I don’t want your help,” Yurio spits out. And then stomps out.

Well there goes the mood. Victor has all the tension and none of the release. “I’m gonna go do,” Victor waves his hand around in indecision, “something.” The list of things to be done is never ending.

\---

Yurio is having the best summer of his life. Ostentatiously, he’s in the care of the ‘Hot on Ice’ production, but being watched over by a nebulous entertainment entity is a lot different than living with his over-invested coach and said coach’s ex-wife. He can come and go as he pleases. He can stay up late and order room service and most importantly have all the sex he wants.

Okay, so they haven’t had sex-sex yet, but hand jobs and blowjobs and even just rubbing against each other until they come is like amazing. And Yurio likes Otabek even when he’s not up for sex. Which isn’t really all that often because who would turn down sex. 

But sometimes they ditch the catered lunch at the rink so Yurio can take Otabek to his favorite falafel place. And Otabek tracked down a motorbike rental place so Yurio could show him around town and escape his fans at the same time. 

And there’s always after sex, when Otabek will turn the hotel tv to some random cable channel Yurio’s never seen before and try to get Yurio to explain what’s going on on the basis that he at least he speaks the language, never mind he’s never even heard of the show before. This usually ends with Yurio tackling Otabek in frustration, which leads to wrestling, which leads to more sex.

But a good few weeks doesn’t change the fact that today has been complete shit. 

Victor being disgusting should be whatever. But Yurio spent the whole morning looking for him and he wasn’t at the rink or any of the places he was supposed to be. Instead he was blowing off his responsibilities to be with the pig. And then Yurio was so angry he didn’t even get Victor to answer his question. Yurio just does not get any of it. Why is Victor wasting his time with all that bullshit? It’s stupid and dumb and stupid.

“I don’t get why you have such a problem with Victor getting laid,” Otabek says, from where’ he’s lounging in bed, while Yurio paces and rants.

“It’s not the sex, obviously,” Yurio says, waving an explanatory hand between them as if to say ‘we are having sex’, “although other Yuri, ew. It’s all the other stuff. They’re so in love, it’s gross. Why do they have to have all those stupid feelings. It’s the summer and it’s already getting in the way. What do they think is going to happen when the season starts again and they have to compete with each other? Neither of them can be their best when they’re together.” Yurio could keep going but he suddenly realizes it’s gotten really quiet. “Otabek?”

“Uh, sorry,” Otabek says. “I just realized I’m supposed to be calling home. Coach wanted to talk to me about music. And it’s getting late there. I lost track of the time difference. I should go.” And Otabek gets up and goes.

Yurio picks up his phone and shoots Otabek a text saying ‘come back when you’re done.’

Otabek does not come back. The day is shit.

\---

It’s just occurring to Yuuri how much he still has to learn about Victor. They’ve spent the last year together, but that was Victor leaving his life to join Yuuri. They stayed at Yuuri’s house and hung out with Yuuri’s friends and Yuuri’s family. Yuuri was the one skating, and Victor spent as much time enjoying the hot springs as he did coaching. And over time Victor learned how to deal with Yuuri’s anxiety.

Yuuri has no idea what to do about Victor losing his shit. 

In a more general sense he has no idea what to do either. He has a lot of down time and no Minako’s studio or always open skating rink to go to. He didn’t have those things in Detroit, but by the end of his time there the homesickness had worn thing. Now it’s fresh again and he’s spending a lot of time wandering around St. Petersburg. 

He’s only wandered a few blocks from familiar territory, but he’s definitely not been here before. He’d remember the puppies in this window. Specifically, the tiny apricot poodle puppy pressing it’s nose to the glass, exactly where he’s standing, as though to say ‘take me with you.’

Yuuri goes in to see if he can play with it. Despite the Russian lessons from Victor, he is completely deficient in dog-related words, but pointing and miming and taking out his credit card work well enough. He leaves with the puppy, in a new dog carrying case, and two large shopping bags of dog stuff. Yuuri couldn’t figure out how to tell them no, so he just bought it all.

Victor likes surprises, right?

Victor is there when Yuuri gets there, eyebrow raised at all the stuff Yuuri is lugging with him. 

Yuuri drops the shopping bags, and sits down on the floor, carefully settling the carrying case down. He unzips the case and the wriggling puppy tumbles into his lap and Yuuri can’t help the way his face lights up. “So, I was thinking we could call her Gold Medal, Goldie for short.”

“I don’t know if it counts if you didn’t beat me for it,” Victor says, sitting down, cross-legged on the floor, across from Yuuri. The puppy wanders over to investigate.

“We can share this one,” Yuuri says.

“She is very cute,” Victor says, picking her up and kissing her on the nose. Goldie licks at his face and Victor lets out a laughing shriek when he puts the puppy down. Yuuri is laughing at him, and Victor leans forward to kiss Yuuri quiet.

“Eww, you’re covered in dog slobber,” Yuuri says pulling away from the kiss, but Victor catches him anyway.

“And now you are too,” Victor says when he pulls away.

“Well, then I guess there’s no reason to refuse you,” Yuuri says leaning in for more kisses. He and Victor tumble backwards on to the floor. But they don’t get any further than that before being besieged by two dogs, Makkachin coming over to see what’s going on.

“We should take the dogs out first,” Victor says.

Yuuri agrees, so they go. When they get back both dogs are tired from the day’s excitement and Victor and Yuuri take a million photos of tiny Goldie curled up sleeping on Makkachin, before retreating to the bedroom for their own pre-nap activities.

Yuuri thinks he did well.

\---

As cute as Goldie is, the last thing Victor needed was another dog right now. They’re leaving at the end of the week. And yeah, he worked out a deal where he could bring Makkachin with them because what’s the point of being the star if you can’t use it to bring your dog with you when you travel. But Makkachin is old. He’s going to sleep at the hotel while they’re out. A puppy will bark and chew and generally be a messy nuisance no star-power is going to help with.

And Yuuri’s stuff is still everywhere, in a mess radiating out from his suitcase. Victor doesn’t know what Yuuri is doing all day while Victor is working, but it’s certainly not putting his stuff in the closet space Victor cleared out for him. 

It looks like if Victor wants something done, he’s going to do it himself. And so he starts going through Yuuri’s mess and putting it away. It’s mostly clothes, and shoes, and then more clothes.

And then it’s not. Because Yuuri has a pair of heels. They are red and shiny and surprisingly heavy when Victor picks them up. Instead of taking them to the closet with Yuuri’s assortment of sneakers and dress shoes, he sits down on the bed before. He’s never seen them before, here or in Hasetsu. He has no idea why Yuuri has them. But he likes it.

He’s still sitting there, with the heels, when Yuuri gets home and finds him. Victor figures that means it can’t be that much later, but honestly he doesn’t know.

“Oh, sorry, were my shoes in the way,” Yuuri says.

“Where’d you get these?” Victor asks.

“Minako-sensei got them for me last year, when she was helping me with Eros,” Yuuri says. “You know, to be the prettiest woman in town. I’m not even sure why I brought them. I guess in case they’d be helpful for whatever you choreograph for me for next year.”

“How come you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t think it was relevant,” Yuuri shrugs.

“You should wear them for me,” Victor says.

“Okay,” Yuuri says, pulling the shoes out of Victor’s grasp. Victor doesn’t want to let go. 

Yuuri shucks his sneakers, his pants, his socks, and slips the heels onto his feet. He’s immediately taller, like he is in skates, and they force him to stand differently, the muscles of his calves, thighs, ass stand out in alluring curves.

Victor slides off the bed and drops to his knees to get a closer look, but it’s still not enough. He bends at the waist, to get his face at Yuuri’s feet. The skin of Yuuri’s feet still have the nubbly imprint of his socks on them, until they smooth out at his ankles. Victor brings his lips down to feel it.

“You like this, huh,” Yuuri says.

“Yes,” Victor whines. Yuuri nudges his foot forward so the smooth patent leather of the rounded toe pushes into Victor’s face. “Please,” he begs, “fuck me.”

And Yuuri does. 

It’s incendiary, their normal slow burn turned up to a million. It’s like a brush fire, cleansing everything in it’s wake. Victor wakes the next morning before his alarm clock even rings, feeling raw and empty, but in a good way. He gets up and takes both dogs out with him, leaving Yuuri to sleep.

He takes them along his well worn path down along the water. He knows from repeated walks that the morning light gives the best glint on his ring, but he doesn’t even need it this morning. He can feel last night with Yuuri with every step he takes. He doesn’t think he could handle that every time. If he feels it this much just walking he doesn’t know what it will be like later when they’re on the ice. But he needed that. 

And he knows what else he needs to do this morning. He starts with the easiest task, and calls his co-producer/co-choreographers for Hot on Ice. They’re more than happy to handle the show changes needed as guest skaters come in and out. So that’s one thing off his plate.

He stops for coffee before his next phone call, waiting for time zones to resolve themselves. When he deems it late enough, he makes his second call.

“Hello Victor,” Stephane Lambiel says when he picks up.

“Hello Stephane,” Victor says. “I have a favor to ask you. How is your schedule for choreography this summer?”

“Who would I be choreographing for?” Stephane asks. The question itself is benign enough, but the way he says it lets Victor know that Stephane’s trying to confirm what he’s heard from the figure skating rumor mill.

“I was hoping you could do Yuuri Katsuke’s free program for next season,” Victor says.

“So you’re still working with him,” Stephane says.

“Coaching him,” Victor confirms.

“And competing yourself? You know that’s crazy, right?” Stephane says, gleefully. Victor has no doubt Stephane will be spreading this gossip the second they’re off the phone.

“So I’m learning,” Victor agrees. “Which is why I’m asking for help.”

“Am I billing you or him for my time?” Stephane asks. And it’s a good question. Victor still hasn’t collected a dime in fees from Yuuri for last year and he doesn’t plan to. Getting a husband out of it, his love, his life, seems more than worth his time.

Victor will have to talk to Yuuri about it later. “So you’ll do it?”

“Yes,” Stephane says. “I’ll help you, Victor. I’ll have my people send your people the paperwork.”

“Thanks so much,” Victor says, wrapping up their call.

The last of Victor’s tasks isn’t a phone call. Instead he takes a walk through a neighborhood filled with memories, until he gets to his destination and knocks on the door.

“What do you want?” Yakov says, opening the door, but not letting Victor in. Yakov has long since become immune to melodramatic skaters showing up on his doorstep.

So Victor needs a good opening. Luckily, nothing works as well as “You were right.”

“Right about what?” Yakov asks. But he opens the door and lets Victor, plus his dogs, enter.

“It’s too much, and I can’t do it all myself, coaching Yuuri and competing myself. I didn’t realize how much work coaching is.”

“Hmph.” Yakov is still not impressed. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“Ask for help,” Victor says.

“That’s a surprise.”

“Well, I do like surprising people,” Victor says.

“But my coaching roster is full,” Yakov says. “And don’t you dare give up your spot for him.”

“No, I was actually thinking Lilia could work with Yuuri.”

“Did I hear my name?” Lilia says, wandering out of the other room.

“Hi Lilia,” Victor says.

“You want something from me?” she asks.

“Would you like to coach Yuuri with me this season?” Victor asks.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“He’s been working with Minako since he was a kid,” Victor says.

“Minako?” Lilia says, not sure if she’s understanding Victor right..

“Yes, that Minako,” Victor confirms. “Yuuri has good form. He skates figures for fun. He’s good at ballet. You’ll like him.”

“I don’t know how you’d know if someone’s good at ballet,” Lilia says with the amazing ability to look down her nose at someone who’s actually taller than her. “But I guess I’d be willing to meet him and see.”

“Thank you. You won’t regret it,” Victor says and then surprises them both by hugging her.

Everything is looking up.

—

Despite living at the hotel Yurio hasn’t been to any of the afterparties people take turns holding in their rooms. First he was too busy with Otabek. Then Otabek stopped talking to him suddenly, and Yurio was too busy sulking. And honestly, and don’t tell anyone this, he doesn’t really like the taste of alcohol. 

But this one is a big wrap party for Hot as Ice: St. Petersburg, and even Victor and the Piggy are here. So Yurio came.

Someone should have told him that alcohol gets better after the third drink. The burn gets less noticeable. And he’s too distracted by everything being slightly less steady than he’s used to to constantly be looking for Otabek. Otabek still isn’t here.

Also, although probably not tied to how much Yurio’s drunk, Victor and the Pig have stopped mooning at each other for the moment. 

The unfortunate downside to that is that the Pig has decided to talk to Yurio instead. They’re sitting on the floor next to each other in a hotel room belonging to, well, Yurio’s not quite sure. He’s leaning back against the bed, which is is doing an admirable job of keeping Yurio from listing sideways. It takes all he has to tolerate Piggy, he doesn’t need to worry about staying upright on top of that. For some reason, Piggy is trying to convince Yurio that Yurio likes him.

"You don't actually hate me. You're just jealous when Victor pays attention to me. But you shouldn't be. He's competing again for you as much as for me,” other-Yuuri says with the emphatic drunkeness. Then he looks consideringly at Yurio and adds, “plus, you have Otabek."

"I'm not so sure about that,” Yurio mumbles.

"Are you kidding me? That boy is in love with you.” The piggy is slurring his words, but they land like bullets anyway.

Oh. 

Shit. 

Deflect, deflect, deflect.

"Drunk Yuuri is pretty smart. You should be like this more often.”

“Drunk?,” the Pig asks. “Because I don’t think tomorrow’s Hungover Yuuri is going to like it.”

“Honest,” Yurio clarifies. “You’re always wimping out and hiding and it makes you lame.”

“You could use a little more tact,” other-Yuuri counters.

“Yeah, fine, whatever.” That is probably true. “I’m only saying ‘thank you’ because I’m drunk too.”

And Yurio needs out of the conversation. So he gets up and leaves. He’ll work on that tact thing later. He has somewhere else to be.

That somewhere else is banging on the door to Otabek’s hotel room. He hopes Otabek’s neighbors are all skaters. If there are any regular people trying to sleep, he’s just woken them up with his pounding. But it works. A rumpled Otabek cracks open the door, and Yurio says quickly before he can close it. “Can we talk?”

“I was asleep,” Otabek says. “You’re drunk.”

“Please,” Yurio begs.

“Fine.” But Otabek doesn’t let him in.

So Yurio guesses they’re doing this in the hall. “Did you know this is the longest we’ve gone without talking since the GPF?”

“We skate in the same show. I’ve seen you every day.”

“It’s the longest we’ve gone since really talking, not just saying ‘hi’ as we pass in the hallway,” Yurio says. 

“Get to the point.”

“I may have said some unfair things about feelings.”

“It’s fine,” Otabek says. “Is that is?”

He’s closing the door and no, they’re not done. “If it were fine, you’d be talking to me. Why didn’t you say anything?” Yurio blurts out.

Otabek’s face falls, whole demeanor changing. “I don’t know.” It’s startling.

“I wish you had said something,” Yurio says, swaying towards Otabek. He catches himself before he makes contact, somehow knows that would be the wrong thing here. But he doesn’t manage to stop his words in time. “I miss you. I miss you so much it’s making me think I have feelings too. Please. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“Why do you think I do?” Otabek always knows everything. He’s strong and confidant and stoic. Those are immutable facts of Yurio’s best friend. But right now he looks none of those things. His hair is mussed, and in his sleep clothes he looks soft and vulnerable.

“But you—“ Yurio starts. “There have been other people, for you, right?”

Otabek laughs harshly.

“You should have said,” Yurio says again and he’s not even sure what he’s talking about. He’s losing track of the conversation, coming back around to the downside of this whole drunk thing. This time he can’t stop the way he’s falling sideways into Otabek. Otabek takes his weight easily.

“Between us, you’re the fearless one,” Otabek says. Yurio wishes he were the person Otabek sees in him. He sounds so much more impressive than Yurio feels inside.

“Make me talk,” Yurio says.

“Next time?” Otabek asks.

“In the morning,” Yurio says. “And next time, every time.”

In the morning, Yurio only has the vague impression of Otabek putting him to sleep in Otabek’s room but he remembers every word of their conversation. And as much as he hates serious talking, he is happy to take it with the bottle of water and Advil Otabek has for him.

\---

Yuuri is glad his meeting with Lilia was already scheduled for the afternoon. He’s barely met her and he already knows that she would not be impressed with his hungover self. 

He shows up early and starts his warm-up and stretching without prompting. He misses the moment that Lilia arrives. One moment, she’s not there, and the next he looks up and is reflected in the studio’s mirror behind him.

“Ready to start,” she says. It’s decidedly not a question.

But Yuuri says “yes,” anyway.

Lilia takes meeting Lilia takes him through his paces. He’s unsure at first, and feels it in his movements, knows he’s stiff an unsure, but he loosens up as he goes. 

Victor swore it would be fine, but Yuuri has been worrying. It’s his m.o. Dancing is different from skating, has none of the expectations of competition and even with Lilia’s unfamiliar choppy voice giving him commands he’s able to sink into it the way he’s familiar with from Minako-sensei’s. 

Until she cools him down and suddenly all the nerves come rushing back in.

“So—“ Yuuri trails off, not sure how to ask how he was, if he was good enough that she’s willing to work with him. He knows Victor thinks he is, but what does Victor know about ballet.

“You could use work. Work on your extension on tour. I don’t want to see you losing any of the limited flexibility you have from laziness.”

“Okay,” Yuuri agrees.

“You should leave Goldie with me when you’re gone,” Lilia says.

“Huh?” Yuuri has officially lost track of this conversation.

“So you have incentive to practice. You can have her back when you’re home if you have improved.”

“So you’ll work with me this season?” Yuuri asks, still not sure what’s going on. 

“Yes,” Lilia says. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“I won’t,” Yuuri says.

Lilia’s expression is skeptical, but she doesn’t say anything else, dismissing Yuuri with a flick of her wrist.

Yuuri goes.

He heads back to Victor’s because they’re leaving for Moscow in the morning and he needs to pack. 

It should be easy. He’s been living out of a suitcase for the past month. But somehow every time he turns around his stuff seems to have multiplied into an ever expanding pile. He knows it drives Victor crazy and he should have done something about it before now. But the longer he put it off, the more insurmountable the mess seemed.

When Yuuri gets there he finds two suitcases sitting neatly by the front door. Of course Victor is packed and ready to go. He is perfectly on top of everything. It’s part of his annoyingly perfect charm. He better get on with it.

But when he goes to Victor’s bedroom, all his stuff is gone. Or well, probably not gone. That doesn’t seem like Victor. But it’s not where he left it.

He wanders back out in search of Victor, who he finds sitting on the floor, hanging out with the dogs.

“Hey Victor, where did you move my stuff. I need to get packed.”

“I already did it,” Victor says looking up at Yuuri.

“Did what?” Yuuri asks.

“Packed for you,” Victor says. “Our suitcases are by the front door. Didn’t you see them when you came in?”

“All my stuff fit in there?” Yuuri had two, much larger suitcases when he arrived.

“I put the stuff you didn’t need for tour in the closet.”

“You could have just put it back in my suitcases. Or left it for me. I would have done it.”

“No you wouldn’t have,” Victor says, sometimes chronically too honest. Yuuri knows Victor doesn’t mean it to be insulting. “Sit down, I don’t want to have to look up at you.” Yuuri does so automatically, busy thinking about how he’s annoying Victor with his mess. 

Goldie abandons Victor, to explore Yuuri’s lap. Victor doesn’t seem to mind this development, content to focus all his petting on Makkachin. And Yuuri is happy to have at least one person who likes him best.

“I’ve been waiting a month for you to finish moving in,” Victor continues.

Yuuri was looking down at Goldie, but at that he looks up at Victor in shock. “Move in?”

“Yes?” Victor is looking up at Yuuri questioningly now. “What did you think was going on?”

Yuuri could play this off easily. He was learning the show, making out with Victor, exploring the city, training a new puppy. But he remembers Yurio urging him to tell the truth, the memory only made more profound by the fuzzy drunk edges. So he looks down again, takes a breath, and says “I was waiting for you to get tired of me.”

There’s a shocked gasp from Victor. “I’d never,” he says. “I cleared out closet space for you. I—“

“You’ve been stressed,” Yuuri cuts him off, talking down at the dog. “I know it’s too much, to compete and coach and do all that choreography. And I’ve shown up and messed up your home, your life, your everything.”

“I fixed all those things,” Victor says, bewildered, like of course he fixed those things, he can do anything and how dare anyone doubt him. Yuuri can’t relate. “You didn’t mess up anything.”

“Victor—”

“No, I want you here. My life without you was sad and empty and lonely. If I have to pick up after you, that is nothing.” Victor shoves his hand in front of Yuuri’s face so Yuuri can’t ignore him anymore. It’s his right hand, the one with the gold ring Yuuri’s never seen him take off. “I’m serious about this.”

Yuuri thought it was a good luck charm for skating when he bought it, when he slid it onto Victor’s finger. And if that’s all it was, that would have been enough, more that Yuuri’s wildest dreams. 

But it’s come to be so much more. It’s love and skating and life, and learning that those three are not synonymous. Yuuri is Victor’s through and through, and that would be no less true if Yuuri never stepped on the ice ever again, if Yuuri went back to Hasetsu and joined his parents and Mari in running the Inn. 

“Me too.” Yuuri grasps Victor’s hand with his own ring-adorned one. Skating and love are not synonymous, but they’re not all that far apart for Yuuri and Victor either. So Yuuri says something to Victor he’s told him before. “But sometimes I’m going to need you to have more faith in me than I have in myself.” 

Yuuri brings Victor’s hand up to his mouth and kisses Victor’s ring, before letting him go. Victor launches himself forward, he and Yuuri falling backwards onto the floor, Victor’s arms coming around to envelop Yuuri in an all encompassing hug. The dogs are resigned to being dislodged by this point, it’s a regular occurrence.

“I have all the faith in you,” Victor says. “All the faith in us.”

Victor’s breath is heavy and warm where his face is buried in Yuuri’s neck. Yuuri wonders if Victor can feel how fast his heart is beating. Yuuri wants to get up, go skate figures until he calms down. But he can’t do that here. Instead, he changes the topic. “So, you put my stuff in your closet?”

Victor release’s his hold on Yuuri. “Yeah, I’ll show you,” and he hops up and holding out a hand to pull Yuuri up after him.

Yuuri’s stuff is neater than Yuuri ever would have managed, clothing sorted out onto hangers by color and type or neatly folded into dresser drawers. Yuuri’s shoes are even lined up under their coordinating garments. With one notable exception. “Where are the heels?”

“Oh,” Victor says. “Those need to come on tour with us.”

**Author's Note:**

> Back when I was in middle school, there was a commercial for Icebreakers gum where a person chewed a piece of of the gum then blew out a breath of ice crystals and said "Icebreakers is cool. Cool as ice." And then for the rest of the year my friends and I would refer to everything as "Hot. Hot as ice." Like I said, I amuse myself.


End file.
